Steering-wheel drive for automobile-carried instruments.



- J. K. STEWART.

\ STEERING WHEEL DRIVE FOR AUTOMOBILE CARRIED INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I. I914.

1,205,054. I I Patented Nov. 14, I916.

' ing for automobile speedometers.

' STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN R. STEWART, OF CHICAGQIIJLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STEWART-WARNER SIEED- OMETER CORPORATION, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA,

. STEERING-WHEEL DRIVE FOR'AUTOMOBILE-CARRIED INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 14, 1916.

Application filed June '1, 1914. Serial No. 842,055.

"To all :whom it may concern l 3e 1t known that I, J OHN K. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of 7 ing had to .the accompanying drawings,

forming a part thereof.

'The purpose of this invention is to providean improved .and simplified drive gear- 1 s is well known, these instruments are commonly mounted on the dash-board and connected through a flexible shaft with one of the front wheels of the vehicle, which is generally a steering wheel and therefore- 'mountedon the front. axle for steering movement. Usually the initial drive is by a spur gear fixed to the road wheel meshing .with the spur pinion, which obviously must be ,mounted to move with the road wheel in its movement for steering and to avoid undue bending or buckling of the flexible drive shaft. It is' almost universal practice to connect-the shaft with the pinion by some form of swivel joint.

The present invention contemplates the the elimination of such a swivel joint by soarranging the intial gear and pinion that the lattermay be stationary with respect to the frame of the car, and still remain in i mesh with the driving gear throughout the steering'movement of the road wheel.

The invention is concerned with the various features and elements required to accomplish this result, as described and shown in the drawings and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the forward portion of a motor vehicle equipped with a speedometer and with a drive gearing embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of the drive gearing shown ,in Fig. 1, with certain parts broken away to reveal the detail construction. Fig. 3 is a detail elevat on of a mod1- x fied form of the invention. Fig. 4: isa'sectional view of a further modification. In the form of the device shown 1n Figs. 1

and 2, one of the front wheels, A ofQthe witha co-axially mountand a pinion,

'B, is mounted for vehicle is equipped ed crown gear, B, I meshes with the gear,

the axis of rotation of the pinion,

only by C, which I rotation about the axis of the pivot of the axle oint. This joint or knuckle comprises spectively, of the knuckle; and the term knuckle will be used to designate the joint comprising both of them and their connecting pivot. The vertical bolt which usually forms this pivot is replaced for the purposes of this invention by a special bolt, E, whose head 1s formed as a bracket, F, carrying an adjustable arm or portion, F constituting a.

gear housing, in which the pinion, C, 1s journaled. The regular bolt which is replaced by the bolt, E, has its upper end axially drilled and threaded and fitted with an oil cup from which the wearing surface of the bolt and knuckle, D are lubricated. To replace this feature, the horizontal portion, E of the bracket, E, is provided with an oil duct, E connecting witha vertical duct, E which has an outlet, E leading to the wearing surface to be lubricated, and the bracket is properlythreaded to receive an oil cup, G. The lower end of the bolt is provided with a nut, H, or may be threaded simply to receive the regular nut of the original bolt furnished with the car. The bracket member, F is dimensioned toiriaig 1- reotly in line with the axis of the knu ckle, so that as the road wheel is moved about this axis for steering, the distance of the gear, B, from the axis of the gear, C, will be unchanged and the gears will mesh properly throughout the rangeof such movement.

From the pinion, C, rotation is communicated to the flexible shaft, indicated at J through a pair of spiral'gears, indicated the form of housing shownin Figs. 1 and 2, but shown. more in detail in Fig. 4 at K and L, respectively. This housing being formed as an integral part of the bracket arm, F will, be fixed in relation to the frame of the car, the bracket, F,- being clamped firmly to the'axle member, D of the knuckle by tightening of the nut, H.

When once positioned, therefore, F

bl'sha-ft, te ding from the'portion,

ci? the housing, F to the speedometer,.M, mounted on the dash-board, will not'be subjected to any change of position except that caused by the up-and-down movement of the 5 axle, D, in response to road inequality. The result is a much greater l'engthof life for the flexible shaft as well as an increase in thfi: ilfiiciency of the speedometer drive as a w 0 e.

. The modified form of the device shownin.

Fig. '3 is designed to avoid furnishing a special bolt for connecting the parts, D and D and with this in view, the bracket member, F, is replaced by the member, N, formed of comparatively thin sheet metal of channel section bent into a right-angled bracket for supporting the adjustable member, F The thin web, N of the bracket; N, is apertured to admit the bolt, 0, and is simply clamped under the head, 0 of said bolt .in correct position for supporting the pinion. Incidentally, Fig. 3 showsa bevel pinion, C", meshing with abevel gear, B. which may be substituted for the spur and crown gear respectively, shown in Fig. 2. For maintaining the lubrication of the bolt,

0, a tube, is provided, screwed into the.

upper end of said pivot bolt, with its cavity registeringwith the oil duct, E extending an up through the hollow spindle, C of the gear, G", and the oil cup, G, is carried thereby. A further modification consists in retainmg the bolt, 0, and utilizing the extension tube, 0 as the sole support for the pinion, C, and the spiral gear housing, F. In this case the member, 0?, will be made as a hardenedsteel shaft adapted to serve as an axle for the hollow spindle, C The hous- 4oing, F is locked in position by means of a setscrew, F engaging a.groove,'O near the upper end of the member, 0 In this case the oil cup, G, is preferably carried by the housing, F, as indicated in Fig. 4.

I claim 1. In combination with a road .Wheel and an axle therefor having a steering knuckle comprislng an axle member, a spindle mem her and .a pivot. bolt connecting them; 50- gear co-axiall'y positioned on the road wheel outside the knuckle; a housing; a member to which the housing is made fast, made rigid with the axle member by means of a. knuckle pivot bolt, said housing overhanging the upper end of the knuckle and spaced away therefrom; a shaft -journaled within the housing in alinement with the knuckle pivot bolt;agear on sald shaft positioned in thef space between-the housing andthe upper end of the knuckle for meshing with the gear on the road wheel, and .a power transmittmg shaft operatively connected with" the gear which is positioned in said space.

2. In combinationfwith'a road wheel'andas an axle therefor, having a steering kn e driving gear coaxially positioned onthe journaled in the housing encompassing sai comprising an axle member, a spindle memher and a pivot bolt connecting them; a driving gear coaxially positioned on the road wheel outside .the knuckle; a gear housing rigid with the axle member of the knuckle, positioned above said member'and spaced away therefrom; a hollow-shafted driven gear journaled in said housing with axial cavity alinedwith the axis of the knuckle, said gear meshing with the driving gear on the road. wheel; power-transmitting means operatively connected with said hollow-shafted gear; the knuckle pivot bolt be ing axially apertured in alinement with the axial aperture of said hollow-shaftedrear to form an oil duct accessible through said hollow shaft of the gear.

3. In combination with a road wheel and an axle therefor having a steering knuckle comprising an axle member, a spindle mem- 8 her and a pivot bolt connecting them; a driving gear. coaxially positioned on the road wheel outside the knuckle; a gear housing rigid with the axle member of the knuckle, positioned above said member and 9 pivot bolt with its axial aperture registering with the said axialaperture of the pivot bolt. 4. Incombination with a road wheel and an axle therefor having a steering knuckle comprising an axle member, a spindle member and "a. pivot bolt connecting them; a

road wheel outside the knuckle; a member rigid with and extending axially from the knucklepivot bolt; a gear housing rigidly secured upon said member; a. driven gearmember, the housing over-hanging the (up per end of the knuckle and spaced away therefrom,.said gear being positioned in the space between the housing. and the upper end of the knuckle for meshing with the 12c driving'gear on the road wheel,,a nd a powertransmitting shaft. operatively connected with said driven gear.

' 5 In combination with a road'"wheel and an axle therefor having a steering. knuckle comprising an axlemember, a spindle mem- .ber and a pivot bolt connecting them; a

- driving gear coaxially positioned on the road wheel outside the. knuckle; ,a member rigid-with the knuck1e.. pivotbolt and exidly secured to said member overhanging ,the 'upper endof the knuckle and spaced a,'way therefrom; a driven gear journaled in theihousmg and on said member, sald gear being positioned in the space between the housing and the upper end of the 'knuckle for meshing with the driving gear on the road wheel, and a power-transmitting shaft operatively connected with said driven gear 6. .In combination with a road wheel and an axle therefor having a steering knuckle comprising an axle member, a spindle member and a pivot bolt connecting them; a driving gear coa xially, positioned on the road wheel outside the knuckle; a member extended rigidly from the upper end of the knuckle pivot bolt above the knuckle; said member and said knuckle pivot bolt having axial apertures registering with each other to form an oil duct leading to the upper end of said member; a housing secured rigidly to-said mei'nber spaced away from the upper end of the knuckle; a hollow shafted driven gear having its hollowshaft journaled on said member within the housing, said driven gear being positioned in .the space between the housing and the upper end of the knuckle for meshing with the driving gear on the road wheel, and a powertransmitting shaft operatlvely connected with said driven gear.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 27th, day

of May, 1914.

JOHN K. STEWART.

\Vitnsses: I

C. B. SMITH. H. Bmvnnr,- 

